Partners in Time
by AAnitab
Summary: Post Deeks' shooting, things are changing for both of them. Kensi/Deeks romantic smut still ahead, he's not allowed to bust open his stitches again. Warning: minor swearing. New chapter, Kensi's about to get a surprise. Sorry for the wait.
1. Partner's Guilt

Title: Partners in Time

Author: AnitaB

Author's Notes: Kensi and Deeks are dealing with his recent shooting in their own ways. But somewhere in the process, things will start changing for both of them. Kensi/Deeks romantic smut ahead (eventually, he's not allowed to bust open his stitches… again).

I own nothing from NCIS: LA and make no money. No infringement is intended and no money is made. Thoughts are inside of /\\.

Partners in Time

By AnitaB

Chapter one: Partner's Guilt

He'd never looked so hot in his whole misbegotten life. Droolable hot. Lickable hot. Biteable hot.

At least in her own head, she should be honest, completely honest. No man she'd ever seen in her life had ever looked so hot. Even wrapped in bloody bandages.

And the second he was healed enough that he wouldn't break open his wounds by walking along a sidewalk… or running and shooting… and saving her life… yet again… then Kensi was going to beat him half to death. She was going to unwrap all those bandages to find her scars on his chest and then she was going to hit him in the face. Just once, really, really hard. Right before she wrapped both arms around his neck and kissed him breathless.

And maybe if she was luckier than she had any reason to be, just maybe Deeks would kiss her back.

Right now she was going to bite back the urge to yell at him and get him back into his hospital bed as soon as she could. He wasn't even capable of standing without the wall for support. It was an excuse, but a reasonable one. So she wrapped an arm around his shoulders and helped him to the ground, bracing him upright against her side. Kensi couldn't yell at Deeks yet, so the hospital staff would have to do. "Can we get a wheel chair out here!"

"I ran down a flight of stairs and across the lobby to get to you in time. Give me a minute and I'll make the walk back to bed." He didn't even make it through the first sentence without stopping for breath three times, there was no way in hell she was letting him walk three fucking steps.

"Yeah right, Deeks. I think wimpy little girl guns are your kryptonite. Now Clark Kent gets to take a few minutes to rest right here on this lovely patch of sidewalk until Nurse Debbie gets here with your wheel chair." Kensi shifted against his back, her hand resting on his ribs to measure his breathing. "Maybe if you're nice to her, she'll redo your bandages and throw in the stitches you broke open before your sponge bath."

He laughed, a sharp little wheezing sound that both made her smile and put an ache in her chest. "Maybe after a few days under this earth's yellow sun, I won't need the stitches at all."

A tech appeared at her elbow with a wheel chair. /Think it took you long enough?\\ Kensi glared at him for a moment and changed her grip on the man in her arms. "Remind me to buy you a sun lamp, Superman, but right now we've got to get you off the ground." The tech and a nurse tried to nudge her aside, but Kensi wasn't about to let go now. The only person within five feet that had a chance in hell of out-stubborning her was the one bleeding on the sidewalk. "I got him, you get the chair."

Even so drained that she didn't know why he was still conscious, Deeks managed a smile as she moved in front of him to wrap her fingers around his biceps. "So this mean you're gonna be my Lois Lane, Kens?" She waited to respond until his hands got a solid grip on her arms.

"You got amnesia again? I'm Wonder Woman. Now, on the count of three we're standing. You ready, man of steel?" At his nod, she started the count. On three they pushed, braced and got him on his feet just long enough for the chair to be pushed against the backs of his knees. The pain on his face made her breath catch in her throat in time with his little breathless groan. "Almost there, just hold on tight."

Kensi stepped in closer, tightening her grip to help him balance on the way back down. He gritted his teeth at the impact with the seat, trying to cover it with a smile and a joke. "Not too tight. Wouldn't want to leave fingerprints on Wonder Woman's bones."

Now she didn't have an excuse for his skin under her hands, but she wasn't quite ready to pull back. Kensi laid a weak punch into the shoulder opposite the bandages. "Try me, tights boy. I could wipe the floor with you right now with one finger." All of her fingers were cold as she finally forced herself to let go of his hands. Turning to the nurse, she tried not to glare at the woman. It wasn't Debbie's fault that Deeks was a flirt. "Get him upstairs and keep him there this time." A quick glance at the road behind her showed Sam and Callen taking care of the crime scene like she should be doing. "I'll be right behind you, Deeks."

Trying to drag her eyes off him, Kensi turned just in time to see Sam start to smile and try to stop. There was no way in hell that she wouldn't hear about this later. "Hey, Kensi, come here a sec."

She shouldn't feel cold just because Deeks was getting further away with each second. He was safe. They were taking him back inside to patch him up. By the time she made it back up to her chair in his room, Deeks would be re-stitched and rewrapped. No blood on the outside and maybe enough pain medication on the inside to keep her from aching sympathetically. Nope, they'd have to put him out for her to completely lose the ache in her chest. And then he couldn't joke with her. "What've you got, Sam?"

"Dead people we haven't IDed just yet. Now get your scrawny butt inside that hospital. G and I got this, you go get your partner." She was smiling and she knew it. Kensi moved to hand Sam her gun, ballistics were necessary even on legitimate shootings, when he shook his head. "Keep it, it's not like we don't know where to find you both."

"Thank you," This time she didn't even wait for the elevator, just took the stairs two and three at a time. Kensi stepped into the room just as the doctor peeled back the gauze. Deeks was staring down at his chest with a look of morbid fascination. It made her look too. Not a good idea and if he kept looking so would she. Kensi rationalized the claiming of his hand between both of her own as a quick way to get his attention. "So what was the first really cool comic you bought?"

His eyes flicked down to their joined hands before he gave her a smile. "I actually shoplifted the first one. But don't tell Hetty."

"Your secret's safe with me." His fingers tightened on hers as the doctor did something that made him make a little pained noise. Kensi just squeezed back and kept talking. Distraction was part of the job. "But I wouldn't bet on her not knowing already. Hetty is just that good."

000

_He watched the gun point at his chest, knowing that the second shot would finish the job the first one had already started. Marty Deeks drew in a sharp breath and waited to die on the floor of a mom and pop's. At least this way he wouldn't live to see the disappointment on Kensi's face at the story of him getting shot in a robbery. But he wouldn't close his eyes before it happened. And the cashier would tell her he'd been brave before the end._

The pain made his breath catch as he jerked halfway to sitting, but he wasn't on the floor. Deeks looked around for a mindless second before the rest of the day came flooding back. He was in a hospital room with a fresh set of bandages on his gunshot wounds that had been stitched up twice already. And he wasn't alone even at three in the morning. Kensi was asleep in the chair next to his bed, her fingers still holding his tightly. But at some point since they'd pushed the sedative into his IV, she must have let go of his hand long enough to eat his jello again. That was fine with him. He'd trade jello for the feel of her hand in his any fucking day.

/God, Kensi.\\ She was beautiful. But she was so much more than just beautiful. Kensi was strong, smart, a good fighter and a better shot. She was so much more than he was worthy of, as a partner or a friend. And she was here, sleeping at his side with her fingers twined through his in a grip he would never get enough of. "Kensi," Deeks twisted enough to run the fingertips of his free hand along the curve of her cheek.

"She's might just kill you if she wakes up like that." Sam's voice made him jump just a little but he didn't let his hands jerk against her skin. "You ever notice something when she crashes at the office? We wake her from across the room with her name or little basketballs made of paper." The black man leaning against his hospital wall mimed hitting the sleeping woman with a perfect arcing shot. Something in his back tightened in an automatic protective gesture.

His Kensi was a bit… tetchy… about personal space when she wasn't undercover. Deeks felt his lips curving on their own. "Which one of you did she hit the first time?"

"The first and only time, it was G. Poor boy had a black eye for almost a week. You shoulda heard the lies he told about how he got it." Sam let out a low chuckle and finally moved off the wall to take the chair on the other side of the hospital bed. "But that's not what I wanted to talk to you about."

Deeks had known this talk was coming when he'd been staring down the barrel of a gun. /Don't let yourself have a routine. Keep your activities varied and be aware of tails.\\ He let his fingers cling a little tighter to Kensi's fingers. It was his fault that his partner had almost been kidnapped and tortured, all because he took his morning run at the same time and stopped at the same store afterward. "I fucked up, Sam, I know that. They used me to get to Kensi, I nearly got her killed, and it will not happen again."

"Good, 'cause you didn't really have a choice in the matter. I will beat security measures into your head if it takes a two-by-four."

Deeks tried not to stare down at the woman still sleeping peacefully at his bedside. No beating would be necessary. He never wanted to watch her almost get dragged into a van again. He wanted to keep his partner safe. "What do I need to do first?"

The first lesson was less painful than he'd expected and somehow Kensi managed to sleep through the lecture. A short time later, Sam set a detailed map of Deeks' neighborhood on the bedside table and stood with a low-toned last reminder. "Remember nothing the same all the time. Different names, different locations, every single day."

"Got it," He glanced down to check on Kensi. Yup, her eyes were still doing the dreaming dance behind her eyelids. "Can you get Eric started on some extra names for me? I might burn through a few before I get the hang of this."

"I'm on it," Sam hesitated in the doorway a second and gave the injured man a smile. "But you should take Kensi's example and try for some sleep. You just got shot this morning. Goodnight, Deeks."

"Goodnight." The door swung shut silently and Deeks couldn't help but think about something Sam had say. And it wasn't the advice (read orders) about his security measures. It was Kensi. She'd been working with Sam and Callen for years, but she still lashed out at them. But when he'd touched her cheek, the sleeping woman had merely pressed a little closer. Deeks had only been her partner for a few months, but she had to trust him in order to be so vulnerable with him, to sleep holding his hand like a teddy bear.

He didn't deserve her, wasn't worthy of her trust and loyalty. But he would be. Deeks had meant what he said to Sam. He would not be a danger to Kensi again. He would become a partner worthy of her trust, worthy of her loyalty. He would be the one to save her, not put her at risk.

Even if it killed him. Deeks found his hand moving on its own, his fingers brushing a lock of dark hair off her face. "I promise you, Kens, I promise I'll be better."

She shifted, tucking the hand intertwined with his under her chin. Then her voice did something to his nerves. "Hmm, Marty, izzit time for work?" Kensi's eyes fluttered and her grip tightened. She was about to wake up and see him staring at her like… really he had no idea what was on his face, but he certainly wasn't ready to have her sharp eyes taking him apart. There was no way in hell that Kensi wouldn't be able to see something in his eyes, something he wasn't ready to deal with just yet.

"Shh, Kens, go back to sleep." He twisted in the bed, biting back a small pain sound in order to rub her back soothingly. "It's not time to get up yet."

She cuddled his fingers closer against her skin. "M'kay, 'night."

"'Night, Kensi." He kept rubbing her back until her breathing evened out and her hands relaxed. But he wasn't going to get much sleep himself. /Fuck, Kensi, what am I supposed to do about this?\\ It was at least an hour before he fell back to sleep and the whole time his brain was circling around and around Kensi's instinctual acceptance of him and the sound of his first name on her lips.

000


	2. Making the Rounds

I own nothing from NCIS: LA and make no money. No infringement is intended and no money is made. Thoughts are inside of /\\.

Partners in Time

By AnitaB

Chapter two: Making the Rounds

Kensi blinked at the light hitting her right in the face. Less than a second later, she was wondering who the hell had spent the last few hours stabbing her in the back of the neck. /Fucking ouch.\\ it was only when she tried to rub the ache that she realized something very important, and very disturbing. She couldn't move her hands because they were busy cuddling Deeks' hand against her collarbone. Strong fingers were intertwined with hers, holding on just as tight as she was. /Oh, shit.\\ Kensi sank her teeth into her lower lip and began the slow and almost painful process of pulling away from her sleeping and injured partner. She started by sitting up despite the very sharp protest of what felt like every fucking muscle in her back. /That's it, tonight I'm bringing a sleeping bag and camping out on the floor. It's got to hurt less.\\ Kensi made it upright without whimpering or waking Deeks.

The next step would be a little harder. Deeks was as stubborn as she was and he seemed very determined to keep her hand even in his sleep. His fingers had tightened already just at the chill of the air against the back of his hand. It didn't help that her cheek and neck were cold without the firm line of his forearm as her pillow. She managed to free one hand without too much trouble but now was the hard part. When Deeks squeezed her fingers, she found herself staring up at his face. He wasn't awake but he was frowning. Then she was frowning as he pulled their joined hands across the sheets and up onto his chest, dragging her half out of the chair in the process. "Kens?" Panicked eyes locked on his bandages at the sound of pain in his voice and then dragged up the still pristine white cloth to his face.

He was still out like a light even as he pulled her up against the edge of his bed to cuddle her hand closer. The frown between his eyebrows deepened and his other hand curled around her wrist. /Marty…\\ Kensi was about to fall forward against his shoulder. Catching her balance, she let her free hand stroke over those frown lines and through his hair. "Shh, Deeks, it's okay. I'm here. Go back to sleep." He quieted under her hands, relaxing back onto the pillows with a quiet sigh. But he still held her close. A few more strokes of his hair had his muscles relaxing enough to slip back into her chair without waking him. Knotting both her hands up under her chin, Kensi tried not to feel the grip of his fingers and the soft warmth of his hair, tried to tell herself she wasn't cold without his touch. "What the hell are you doing to me, Deeks?"

The door creaked and Kensi's hand was on the butt of her gun in the instant before Hetty's tiny frame appeared in the growing gap. "Permission to enter, Ms. Blye?"

"Hetty… of course. Come in." She settled back in her chair and wrapped her arms around her own ribs. "He's still asleep."

"Of course he is, as he should be." Hetty took the chair on the other side of the bed, but only after she patted his arm and checked his bandages. Deeks didn't try to pull Hetty onto the bed with him. "After all, it's only been 24 hours. Certainly not enough time to make a full recovery just yet."

"The doctors said he was healing very well… despite the reopening of his wounds." Kensi wasn't quite ready to admit to herself that the info was more for her than for Hetty. She had fucking hated the sight of his blood and really didn't ever want to see him collapse against a building looking that pale again. "They said he should be back on his feet very quickly."

"I'm sure he will be. We'll make certain of it, won't we, Ms. Blye?" Kensi looked away. For reasons she didn't really understand, the look in Hetty's eyes was too hard to meet. At her next words, Kensi was glad she had. "You do know that his shooting was not your fault, don't you? Neither was the reopening of his wounds."

"But it is my fault. They used him as bait to get me. He was shot because of me. The second set of stitches was because he hurt himself to get to me in time. If Deeks hadn't made that shot, they might have gotten me into the van. I would have been captured or killed if he hadn't saved me… again."

"I can say for certain that our young Deeks doesn't see it that way. He probably blames himself for your near kidnapping and blames himself for the shooting." Hetty smiled at the unconscious man, patting his arm again. "But that isn't the important part right now. What matters is getting both of you recovered, secure, and back to work."

Something inside Kensi panicked at the thought of leaving Deeks for more than a few minutes at a time. "Hetty, I… I can't… leave him here… not alone."

"Of course not, Kensi, I wouldn't ask you to leave him unprotected. You are his partner." There was something deeply unnerving about Hetty's smile. "Young Nell will be here to sit with him for the couple of hours I'll need you in the office today. She'll get here in about," She glanced down at her watch as if she didn't know exactly what time it was. "Thirty minutes. You've got until then to eat his jello if you want to blame her for it."

Kensi must have moved like she was going to interrupt because Hetty raised one hand calmly and kept talking. "After that time is up, you will be able to stay with your partner until dinnertime. At that point Mr. Callen and Mr. Hannah will arrive. One of them will drive you home to eat, shower and get at least two hours of sleep in a real bed, not in a hospital chair." Now the hand keeping her from talking raised up a little higher. Kensi could feel her hands tightening on the rail of Deeks' hospital bed. "The other will stay here until you get back. I've talked to the hospital staff and arranged to place a cot in this room for only two more days. Then you will leave the hospital to sleep at home until Mr. Deeks is released. Am I understood?"

Something inside Kensi started panicking even as the logical part of her brain knew Deeks wasn't in any continuing danger. The people who had hurt him looking for her were dead and in the morgue somewhere. She was actually being allowed to stay at his side more than she should be. But less than she wanted to. Kensi finally gave in to the twitching in her fingers and reclaimed his hand between both of her own. "That sounds perfect, Hetty. Thank you."

000

He'd woken up this morning with cold fingers and a new visitor. Nell was a sweet girl, but she wasn't his Kensi. Though, unless Nell was more of a thief than he'd thought, his Kensi had eaten his jello before she'd left him with his new guard. Or maybe that was new babysitter.

Deeks spent the next few hours trying not to miss his partner, or at least trying not to be too obvious about missing his partner. Then Nell's phone rang somewhere in the middle of the third hour. He tried really, really hard not to jump. He tried even harder not to snatch the phone clean out of her hands and talk to his partner himself. He knew it was Kensi by only the rhythm of the muffled voice on the other end. "Yes, I'll get on that with Eric as soon as I get back to the office." Kensi's voice was too soft to really hear, but whatever she said made Nell smile and glance at him out of the corner of her eyes. "Yes, he has… well, except for the jello of course." Another round of muffled speech and another smile. "Hold on and I'll ask." Nell turned to look at him straight on, the phone he was itching to take held away from her ear. "Kensi's on her way back and wants to know if there's anything she can sneak in for you, foodwise and the like."

He bit back the sudden urge to say all he needed was her. But he couldn't say that now could he. "Some real coffee would be great and those tacos we like for stakeouts." Deeks knew his hands were clenched in the blanket across his lap, but Nell wasn't either Sam or Callen. She wouldn't notice as quickly, if at all.

"Got all that, Kens?" Nell smiled and nodded. "Alright, then. See you in thirty minutes? Oh, yes, I'm sure he will be. Bye, Kensi." Nell hung up before he could either reach out for the phone or get his nerves to calm down.

"You're sure I'll be what?" He knew he sounded suspicious, but he was… so what?

Nell's smile got even wider. He'd never seen so many of her teeth before. "Sure you'll be happy to see her." She rested one hand on his shoulder and shrugged her own. "Don't worry, Deeks, I'm not offended or anything. But you really have been looking at that door about every…. Hmm… three minutes the whole time I've been here. Maybe five. Sometimes only two."

"No… no I'm not." If Nell could read him like that, Kensi was going to eat him alive when she got here. "My back's stiff… and the door is right in front of the bed."

"Sure, that's it." Nell rolled her eyes and gave a low little chuckle. "It's nothing to do with the woman who hasn't left your side in over 24 hours. It has nothing to do with your partner who had to be ordered from your bedside just to do a couple of hours of work at the office. The one who wouldn't leave you alone despite the LAPD still hanging out downstairs." Her head angled and the smile on her lips turned a little evil. "Of course it's just a stiff back from the hospital bed."

"I don't know what you're talking about." He'd never heard himself lie so badly in his life. Deeks was an undercover expert, but that… that was just pathetic. "We're just partners."

"I know what a crush looks like, feels like. I didn't grow up inside a computer and I don't live in one now."

Deeks found himself reaching out a hand to catch hers. "Has Eric noticed that torch you're carrying around? Or is he still living inside his computers?"

Her eyes dropped but her hand tightened on his. "I don't know, but damn I hope not." Nell forced a weak smile and tried to pull back. Deeks wasn't letting go just yet. "Has Kensi noticed your torch yet?"

He should deny it, deny everything. But just the thought of telling someone, anyone, made the weight of that torch just a little easier to bear. Besides mutually assured blackmail was as solid as he was probably going to get. "I thought she might have a couple of times, but no. Kensi hasn't noticed me yet. And this hasn't helped."

"This hasn't helped? Deeks, you got shot for her and then you saved her life in the hospital parking lot within hours of your surgery. How could that hurt?" Nell's voice was as close to yelling as someone could be when whispering. They were both whispering, as if Kensi and Eric had bugged the hospital room.

"I got shot because I was too stupid to do what all of you have done for years. That makes me the dumb city cop that endangers the real agents. Taking that shot in the parking lot doesn't balance it out." Deeks rubbed his free hand over the bandages on his chest, right over his heart. "Besides, I don't want her gratitude." He swallowed and let the words climb his throat to his lips. "I just want her."

"I know what you mean." Nell leaned in and kissed him on the cheek. "Torches suck, don't they."

"Yeah, yeah they do." He was settling back into the pillows after pressing a kiss to her cheek when the door opened and they both jumped.

"And how are you feeling, Mr. Deeks?" The doctor didn't look up from the file in his hands in time, missing the almost guilty looks on two faces. "Any pain around your wounds?"

Deeks knew he let out a sigh of relief. It would have been just his luck for Kensi to get back just in time to hear him spilling emotions all over the sheets. She would have twisted something running so fast. "No, no pain. They're a little itchy though."

"That's actually a good sign. It means the skin is starting to heal. When your bandages get changed, ask the nurses for some skin cream." The doctor glanced down at the file in his hands before looking back up with a smile that somehow managed to be just a little mean. "That being the case… I guess I can let in your visitor, but no more coffee after the one she's bringing you now. I want you getting your rest tonight."

He nearly had a heart attack, his pulse changed so fast. /Kensi is here.\\ Deeks knew he was smiling, could see the smile on Nell's face. "I guess that's final call for me." Nell stood as Kensi came in with a to-go bag and cup carrier.

"And a coffee for your babysitting duty." Something inside his chest unwound for the first time in hours at just the sound of her voice and the sight of her smile. She was here, almost close enough to… Deeks fought to keep the swirl of feelings off his face, but he knew he didn't have a chance in hell of wiping off the smile. "So how bad a patient was he?"

He felt better than he had in hours, simply because she was reclaiming her chair at his bedside and reaching out for his hand with a smile. Kensi was here. He was the best damn patient in the hospital. "I'm fine, Kens, I'm feeling better."

The doctor just nodded and turned for the door, a smiling Nell just a step behind him. A little wave and a blown kiss almost distracted him from his partner. Almost.

"Hey there, Deeks."

"Hey there."

000


	3. Partners in Crime

Partners in Time

By AnitaB

Chapter Three: Partners in crime,

It should be getting easier to leave his side, especially since people kept making her do it on a regular basis lately. But somehow it didn't and it wasn't. Kensi didn't want to leave this room, even for a hot shower, a comfortable bed, and some real food. She found herself glaring at Callen when Deeks' hospital door swung open. She didn't want to go. There was a cafeteria downstairs, a shower wasn't necessary because she could use the one in the locker room in the morning, and Hetty had a cot arranged for her to sleep in right next to the bed. She didn't have to go home right now.

"Your ride's here, Sam's downstairs in the car." Callen was smiling. He didn't smile all that often, and it usually meant she was about to get ribbed or otherwise tortured. "And Hetty decided I'm your babysitter for this fine evening." Maybe she wasn't the target right now. The suspicion was confirmed when Callen turned to face the hospital bed and its patient straight on. "So how is the baby doing today?"

"This baby… is fine and still has a gun. If I shot you, Callen, you wouldn't have to babysit me." Kensi watched Deeks' hand gesture at the far wall. "Then you'd have your own room and your partner could visit you."

Callen was really smiling now. "Don't worry, Deeks, we'll bring her right back. I'm sure as hell not planning to give up my partner in trade for you." One male shoulder lifted in time with his eyebrow. "And there are days I'd trade Sam for Kensi, but she's gonna be useless until you're back on your feet and fit for duty."

She wanted to protest. Both for him talking like she wasn't in the room and for the implied insult. But realistically, if Kensi couldn't face her apartment while Deeks was in the hospital, she was going to be useless in the field. However, this was not really the time for truth. "Really, Callen? Like I'm not fully capable of putting you on the ground right now. Want me to prove it, G-Man?"

"No, I want you to get your bitchy ass outside to Sam's car. Some of us actually want to go home sometime tonight." Callen let the harsh note leave his voice and gave her the barest hint of a smile. "You might not know it, with all that's distracting you, but there's a game on tonight and I've got a little money on the outcome." One eyebrow arched and his head angled at the door. "So haul butt. If you're nice enough to Sam, he'll bring you back sooner rather than later and we can all get settled in."

"Thanks, Callen." Kensi forced her hands open, trading the warmth of his fingers for the look on his face as she ruffled his hair. "Be good, Deeks. You break open another set of stitches while I'm gone and I'll shoot you myself." It was harder to make herself step away from his bedside, impossible when he recaptured one hand.

"You be good, too, Kens." Strong fingers stroked over the back of her hand and Kensi found her teeth sinking into her lip. "When I get back out of this bed I want my partner fit for duty. Get some sleep."

"Take your own advice if you plan on getting out of that bed soon." She squeezed his fingers and made herself let go. "See you soon." Kensi turned to Callen, trying very hard not to see his smile. "Is Sam double parked?"

"Right at the curb by the ER." Callen claimed her empty chair and put his feet up on the edge of the bed. "We'll be right here 'til you get back. We've got plenty to talk about."

The groan on Deeks' lips matched the sudden stab of something between her ribs. Only Hetty was better at prying someone open against their will than Callen. Sam was dangerous, but just a little too much of a boy scout to be all that devious. Callen had deviousness in spades and now she had to leave him alone with Deeks. "Be nice, Callen. I'll be back soon." Kensi was trying to give Callen 'lay off' messages with her eyes. But she couldn't do it out loud without insulting her partner in the process. "The nurses like Deeks enough to smuggle him an extra dessert or two. If you're nice they might do the same for you. The jello's worth it."

"See you soon, Kens. Sleep well and don't worry about us. We'll be good." Deeks gave her a smile and held out a hand. Before she knew she'd done it, Kensi had crossed the distance to take that offered hand… right in front of Callen. /Damn you, Deeks.\\ Then his fingers tightened and just the feel of his strength against her skin made the anger fade a little. "Let Sam take care of you, okay? 'Til I can?"

"Ok, Marty. I've gotta go."

It was only when the sound Callen made found her just past the door that she realized what she'd said. /Damn men and their distractions.\\ Kensi had never let his first name get to her lips before, at least not when she wasn't dreaming. Straightening her back, she just kept walking. Slip-ups usually faded from memory faster if you didn't drag attention to them with corrections or arguments. Besides, she needed to talk Sam into driving her to Deeks' apartment before he brought her back to the hospital. There were a few things she wanted to pick up for him.

Kensi wrapped herself in layers, almost like she would for an undercover op. Sam might not have quite Callen or Hetty's insight, he certainly wasn't oblivious by any means. She wasn't in the mood for another interrogation. "Hey, Sam. What, I'm not worth a limo?"

"Take it up with Hetty. You're already getting my night off and Callen's. Think that's enough for your ego." Sam nodded at the passenger's seat. "You coming or not?"

He didn't seem like he'd noticed anything. Kensi let herself relax just a little as she climbed into the car and buckled the seat belt. "So what's for dinner, Sam?"

"Whatever you want, but that's 'cause you're buying it." Nothing in his body language or tone said anything other than the vague familial annoyance of a brother. He didn't even take his eyes off the road to answer.

She fought to keep the relieved smile off her lips. Good, no second interrogation tonight. And it was a perfect excuse. "There's a great little Chinese place around the corner from Deeks' apartment. We could pick him up a few things while we're waiting for the food."

"Yeah being in the hospital sucks. A few things from home can make all the difference." Now Sam smiled just a little. "He give you a key or are we testing his security?"

Kensi let herself laugh. "No you can't pick his locks or break in his window. But I will let you snoop around a little while I pack him a bag."

"Sounds good, but you are soo the one going through "Marty's" underwear drawer, 'cause I'm not going there."

Her forehead thudded into her hands and her back knotted up like she'd just been shot between the shoulder blades. "Callen texted you, didn't he?"

"Before you hit the stairwell. It was so hard not to laugh at you when you opened the car door." The laughter in his voice made the idea of lifting her head even more painful. So she didn't. "Trying so hard to act all normal. It was almost cute."

"I'm never gonna hear the end of this, am I?"

"Only if you do something more interesting soon." One hand rested on her shoulder just long enough that it moved before she could wiggle out from under it. "And it Marty keeps touching you like G said he did… that might be real soon."

"God, I hate you both." Two thuds of skull into palms for one low, male chuckle. "So damn much."

The engine cut off, forcing her to glance out the window at the restaurant Deeks' had taken her to once after a stakeout. "You only wish you did. Now are we ordering or heading down the block to pack Marty's bag first?" Kensi let the sound of the car door slamming answer his question. She was staring up at the menu by the time he caught up to her. "So, Kens, Chow mein or fried rice?"

"How about both?" If she was buying, she might as well share. "But only if we're taking the extra back to our partners."

"Deal."

000

He knew he was watching her leave. He knew that a countdown had already started in his head until the moment she would be back by his side. He also knew that Callen was watching him the whole time. And he knew that the questioning was going to start the second Kensi was out of hearing range. Deeks wanted at least a couple more second to focus on the touch of her hand in his and the sound of his first name on her lips before he had to pretend it was nothing to a colleague.

It wasn't nothing. Kensi would never, could never meant nothing to him. She was his partner, his friend, his… everything. Deeks wanted so much more but that didn't mean he was going to get more of her. But if he even had a snowball's chance in hell of getting even a little bit closer to her, he wasn't giving up… ever. Deeks was going to keep reaching out for her until she started reaching for him first or pushed him away. It meant more to him than he could put into words that she'd taken his hand instinctively and called him 'Marty.' It meant so even more that she did it in front of someone else. /My closed off little Kens. Will you open up for me?\\

"So… are we talking about this now… or do you want to put it off for an hour or so?"

Deeks didn't respond but slowly took his eyes off the door to look at Callen. The no-nonsense, 'don't bother lying to me' face was in full existence. "I guess never isn't on my list of choices."

"Nope," The heel of a shoe nudged his knee in a half-hearted little kick. "But I can tease you mercilessly for awhile before I really get down to business, if that's what you'd prefer." Deeks hated that smile, hated even more that it was absolutely right.

"I think I preferred Sam's security lecture in the middle of the night." He settled into a comfortable position against the pillows. This was going to take awhile. "We might as well get it over with then. What's first? Are you going to threaten me? Promise to bust my ass back out of NCIS so fast my head spins?"

"No, that's not first. That's more like number 14 or 26 on the list." Deeks rolled his eyes. /Kill me now…\\

Hitting Callen wouldn't fix a damn thing. It wouldn't spare him a moment of teasing or a single protective, brotherly threat. And Kensi would make him suffer if he broke open his stitches in the swing.  
"So what's number one on the list? We wouldn't want to miss any major points before Kensi gets back and interrupts the interrogation."

"Sam won't bring her back until I send him a text message that we're done here." Callen folded his hands across his stomach and gave Deeks his 'Trust me, I'm a bad guy' smile.

/Shoot me now… again.\\ Deeks let his eyes fall closed and pulled in a few deep breaths. "I don't want to delay. Let's get it over with already. I can't escape and I'm not even trying." Opening his eyes, Deeks locked gazes with Callen. "We both know you know exactly what you want to say, so do it already."

"You want the short, simple version then."

"Yes, the suspense is killing me."

Callen smiled and nerves all over Deeks' body knew bad, bad things were coming. "Alright then. The short version is… you hurt our Kensi and Sam and I will kill you." The man at his bedside nodded as if to say 'yes, you heard me right.' Then his hands pulled a knife and started sharpening it. "I'll kill you and I'll make sure the process is as slow and painful as you deserve for whatever you've put Kensi through. Then when I'm done with you, Sam will take you scuba diving until you stop breathing and put your body somewhere so deep into an underwater cave that the only living things to ever see you again will be the pretty little fishes that will eat your corpse."

Frankly that was so much better than the beating around the bush from before. But… well… uh… yeah. "So… that's the short version. I hurt her and I pay for it." Deeks searched his face for the missing information. "But what happens to me if I make the move and Kensi doesn't get hurt in the process?"

Callen shrugged and tested the point of the knife. "Guess that's mostly up to Kensi and maybe a little bit up to Hetty." He sheathed the blade and started cleaning his gun. "I mean there are policies about romantic relationships, but Hetty's got a whole rule book of her own. She might approve or she might kick you back to the LAPD so fast your head spins."

"You're jumping the gun a bit here, Callen. What if Kensi shoots me down? What if I don't even want to make a move on her like that? What if we're just partners and friends?"

He'd been working with NCIS for a long time now, but never in all those months had he heard Callen laugh like that. "You talk like that and you won't pass the psych eval to get back to work." The gun slipped back into the holster before Callen leaned forward with a truly amused smile. "I'm not blind, neither is Hetty or Sam. I think Kens is the only one who isn't perfectly sure of exactly how badly you want her. And the only reason she doesn't already know is she doesn't believe she can get what she wants in relationships."

His breath caught in his chest and it didn't have a damn thing to do with his stitches. "You think she wants me?"

"I've seen the way she looks at you and the way you look at her. I don't think you want each other. I know." A shrug lifted the shoulders of his leather jacket. "And I think you're almost good enough for her. You know you better be good to her." Another smile crossed Callen's lips and Deeks knew that he wasn't out of the woods just yet. "So, Marty, how are you going to get our Kens to see sense? What's the plan?"

He'd never thought that having the family's approval could make a relationship harder, but here he was with his girl's brother for all intents and purposes asking him what he was going to do about the girl in question. "The… plan?"

"Yeah, the plan. Saving her from kidnapping after surviving your own shooting was a great start, but what's the next step?"

As weird as this moment felt, Callen wasn't a bad resource. He'd known Kensi a lot longer than Deeks, had seen her in any number of relationships and emotional states. "I don't think she'll say yes if I just ask her out." Deeks thought out his next words carefully. He was about to ask one of those questions where you might not want to know the answer. "What do you think I should do to get closer to Kensi?"

Callen stopped to think about it for a second or twenty. But no amount of time would have prepared Deeks for the answer. "Kiss her. She'll never admit what she wants until you've made it perfectly clear that she's not feeling it all alone. Kensi won't pay attention to any ambiguous signals, her walls are too thick to give way for anything half-assed. Besides, that cot's going to be hell on her back. Make her share the bed with you."

His breath just stopped at the thought of Kensi sleeping in his arms. The warmth and soft skin of her body pressed so close against his, trusting him enough to be that vulnerable. She'd never put in his stitches in danger, so the images in his head had nothing to do with sex and everything to do with intimacy… closeness. Deeks would do anything to be able to just hold her like that, to feel her arms around him. For a simple, sweet, little kiss, he'd carve his own heart from his chest to offer her. "Just kiss her… it's really that simple?"

Now Callen's smile was almost sympathetic. "No. Then you have to figure out what to say to keep her that close. She's going to try to run. She always does when it's someone who actually matters." Callen pulled out his cell phone and tapped out a quick message. "I'm letting Sam know that he can bring Kensi back whenever he wants. Since we've hit all the major points we wanted to cover with you."

"So we're done?"

"No. Now I'm teasing you mercilessly until they hit the parking lot. That's our Kensi you're trying to date. You don't have a chance in hell of getting off the hook that easily."

/She's worth it, no matter how bad it's going to be.\\

000


	4. Dinner Party Plans

000

I own nothing from NCIS: LA and make no money. No infringement is intended and no money is made. Thoughts are inside of /\\.

Partners in Time

By AnitaB

Chapter Four: Dinner Party Plans

Something was up with Sam. She knew it, but Kensi didn't really care right now. She didn't care because it meant she was getting what she wanted with far less of a battle than she'd expected. After a shower, packing a bag for herself and for Deeks, Sam was willing to drive her back to the hospital. No forced two hour nap on the plans for her anymore.

Some just had to be wrong with him if he was willing to disobey Hetty for her. Tying her wet hair back in a ponytail, Kensi tried not to think about it too much. She was going back to Marty, that was all that really mattered. "Sam, you ready?"

The man in question was in her kitchen gathering utensils and drinks. "Almost. What should I bring for the baby?"

"Root beer. His doc said no more caffeine today." Kensi popped her head around the corner long enough to give Sam an evil look. "And he's not a baby."

"Of course he's not… mama bear." A few heavy footsteps were followed by the opening and closing of her fridge door. "Where are the sippy cups? We'll need one for junior."

"If you piss me off enough I think Hetty would help me cover up your shooting death as in the line of duty." Slipping into her leather jacket, Kensi turned the corner into her own kitchen. "Keep that in mind before you keep pushing my buttons, swim boy."

He smiled, angled his head with a thoughtful look and pressed the button again. "Yes, mama."

She could argue, or she could give up and get back to Deeks that much faster. Besides, Sam would fight with her later. It was never over that fast. "Fine, play games. Can we go now?"

"Come on, Kens, we've both got partners to feed."

/Finally,\\ Kensi gave him a smile that held a little more eagerness and relief than she'd meant it to. "After you."

The drive was less painful than she expected, but Sam didn't stop smiling or pushing buttons the whole way. When he pulled into a parking spot instead of breaking traffic laws aplenty by sitting in the fire lane, she knew she still hadn't escaped. "I'll carry the Chinese if you get the drink bag."

/Damnit.\\ "I thought you wanted to get home tonight. Not hang out with the baby."

"Oh, I do. But I can't resist a good spectacle." Sam grinned as he shut off the engine and climbed out of the car.

/Spectacle?\\ She was going to do her level best for there to be no damn spectacle. But all that intent wouldn't mean a thing if the three most important men in her life had other plans. "It's Chinese takeout, not a dinner show."

"We'll see about that." Just by the tone in his voice, Kensi knew she was getting way more company for dinner beyond the man she was here to see.

Her eyes were rolling by the time Deeks' hospital room door swung open at her hand. "Who wants the sweet and sour pork?" There was the smile she'd been missing. Deeks lifted one hand in the air to claim the sweet and sour at the same time he held the other out to her. Even knowing that Callen and Sam were watching with undisguised interest couldn't keep her from answering that outstretched arm.

Kensi found herself smiling, holding his hand, and sitting on the edge of his bed with the drinks balanced awkwardly on her lap. "Did you bring us eggrolls too?" Damn, he was too cute for her good, too cute for his own good. Deeks had little boy charm enough to carry around in barrels, and he knew it.

"No, I didn't think you'd been good enough for Ming Chow's famous eggrolls. Did they slip something into your water pitcher? Of course I got them, and the ham fried rice you're always whining for." Kensi thought she'd kept her voice even and a little teasing. The proper partner bashing sound. Then Callen coughed into a fist to cover his laugh and she knew she'd missed the mark.

She was trying to figure out how to pull off a strategic retreat when Callen stole the drinks and started to spread the supplies out on the rolling dinner tray as Sam divided up the Chinese. As he stepped away, he said something to Deeks that made no sense and made the injured man blush red.

"Remember, no ambiguity."

She watched two very macho men domestically set up the takeout with their backs to her for a confused moment or two. "Deeks, what is going on right now?"

He somehow scooted higher up against the pillows without losing the grip on her hand. In fact, Deeks claimed her other hand and seemed to come to a decision. "You trust me, don't you, Kensi?"

"Yes, but you know by now that I really, really don't like surprises." Her body shifted on its own, moving to face him, helplessly getting closer like he was drawing her in.

"Maybe you'll like this one." His eyes flicked over her shoulder to the men behind her before locking back onto her face. "Kensi," One of his hands left hers to cup the line of her jaw. "Remember you made me promise not to break open my stitches again. So you shouldn't bust 'em for me." Then before she had time to try to put the pieces together in her head, her partner was leaning in to touch his lips to hers.

It was a soft, careful brush of skin. Warm, chaste, and just barely trembling. Trembling like her hands were on his chest, like his fingers were in her hair. Marty was kissing her, really kissing her. This wasn't some peck for a cover, or even a hormone-based plunge into a night of bad idea sex. This was so much deeper than simple contact of skin to skin should possibly be. This was the man she trusted most in the world reaching out for her, for something she couldn't even put into words. Something she wanted more than her next breath. And if he didn't mean it for real, it was her old wounds that would be breaking open with fresh bleeding.

Weakly pulling back, Kensi licked her lips just for the taste of his. She watched his eyes open, felt his fingers stroke the line of her cheek. The heat in those eyes tried to say he meant it just like it felt, but she needed words. "Marty?" Kensi hated the fear in her voice, the need in the fisting of her hands in the front of his shirt. Hated that she wanted this so damn much it terrified her. "Marty, what… what is this?"

His eyes dropped to her lips, his thumb stroking the same curve of skin to sooth the mark of her teeth there. Which just made her want to bite her lip harder to invite another touch of those fingertips. "It's me, Kensi. It's your partner and friend, asking for a chance to be more than that to you." Deeks leaned closer, sliding an arm around her waist to pull her into his chest. "I know we both have a long history of bad romantic decisions… but I care about you, I know you care about me, and I think we could be good for each other. Very good." She started shaking in his arms, arms that tightened around her comfortingly. "Give us a chance."

She'd had dreams like this. Well, not exactly. Typically, Sam and Callen weren't in the room trying really, really hard not to disrupt the events with noise. Never in her dreams had she been the one still so scared. And only since his shooting had any of those dreams involved bandages and hospital gowns. "You mean that, really mean it?" She found her hands opening against the firm strength of his chest, siding up to curl around his neck as her body leaned into the grip of his arms. "'Cause if this is some game I will kill your dumb ass."

"I would never tell you a damn thing I didn't really mean, Kensi. And I mean every single word. I want this, I want you." His arms tightened as his head dipped. Those lips found hers again, a little more urgently this time. Kensi opened to the stroke of his tongue with a low moan, adoring the equally needy sound on his lips. /Marty\\ She got lost in the kiss, feeding on the warmth and need of his mouth against hers, his body holding hers tighter. Far, far too soon, he pulled back and cupped her face in his hands. "I do want you, Kensi, very, very much." His eyes stared into hers, holding a combination of heat and worry. "So what do you say, partner, can I keep you this close?"

She should say no. She should say no, climb out of his arms and back off the bed. But Kensi couldn't do it. She couldn't reject the one thing she wanted more than being safe from him. This was Marty Deeks and he wanted her. Saying no would be harder than doing her own open heart surgery. "Yes, but only if I get to keep you this close too."

The smile that somehow filled up every inch of his face, not just his lips, took the last bit of fear out of her chest. "Deal, now come here." Her fingers clenched in his hair as she obeyed and fell into another amazing kiss.

The two men laughing behind her didn't matter in the least. Not with something this amazing happening.

000


	5. Onehanded Chopsticks

Partners in Time

By AnitaB

Chapter five: One-handed Chopsticks

It was go time. It was the moment he'd been waiting for and he had to move quickly but carefully. This wasn't about making Kensi respond to his body, it was about offering her something more. The hard part would be holding back. Trying to forget the two brother figures in the room, Deeks gave his precious Kensi a soft, gentle kiss. Just lips touching and this woman started trembling in his arms. It gave him hope and made it harder to stay slow. But she needed to know this was real, he needed to show her it was more than skin. That it was more…

Kensi kissed him back, his strong girl shaking in his arms and pressing closer. /Yes, that's it, Kens, reach for me.\\ Before he was ready to let go, she pulled back. The only reason he heart kept beating was the tightening of her hands in his shirt. Weakly opening his eyes, Deeks didn't try to hide anything he was feeling. Kensi was worth it, should know exactly how much this meant to him. He barely held back at the sight of her teeth sinking into her lip. But Deeks didn't even try to control his hands at her whisper of his name. "Marty, what… what is this?"

Stroking back and forth over that gorgeous lip, he struggled for the words. Deeks could flirt without thought, but this… the next thing he said had to be real, it had to matter because Kensi deserved every bit of truth he could pull out of his soul. He watched her with every word he spoke, pulling her closer to feel her response against his ribs. The only word in his head was 'please.'

"You mean that, really mean it?" His heart was racing under the caress of her hands. Each inch of skin felt her lean closer, warmer as those hands stroked up to curl around his neck. Kensi was holding him back, pulling him in. "'Cause if this is some game I will kill your dumb ass."

/Yes, fucking hell, yes.\\ If she hadn't threatened him at least once, he would have known she would run. Now the words were easier to find in the moment before he finally, finally let himself taste her on his tongue. She opened for him, deepening the kiss with an urgent little sound in the back of her throat. /More, Kensi, give me everything.\\ He would never, ever get enough of her kiss. But some little functioning part of his brain reminded him that she hadn't technically said yes yet. Deeks would be happy to continue kissing his partner after she told him something very important. Catching her face in his hands to see her eyes was so much easier than staying back from her lips. /Just a sec, sweetheart.\\ "So what do you say, partner, can I keep you this close?"

Thoughts flew behind her eyes and he knew without a single doubt that at least one of them was saying no. Then Kensi's body let go of the tension he could feel in her muscles. "Yes, but only if I get to keep you this close too."

/That's all I'll ever want.\\ He knew he was smiling, could feel that same joy taking over his muscles one at a time. The woman in his arms relaxed even more, the very last bit of tension leaving her back. "Deal, now come here." Her fingers locked in his hair at the first touch of their lips, her arms clenching even tighter when he dragged her up into his lap for a better angle at her lips.

"Deeks," One of her hands braced on his ribs, her fingers trembling against the thickest part of his bandages. Her arm pushed just a bit and he tightened his grip on the woman sitting sideways on his lap. /Nope, not letting you go.\\

"No. Marty." He caught that chin in his hand and tilted her head up for a quick, hard little kiss, deepening the contact until her arms pulled him close again. "We're not losing ground now. You called me Marty."

She accepted his hold, looping one arm around his neck and giving him a kiss along with the roll of her eyes. "Marty. I am way heavier than the lift limit they always put on chest wounds. Don't make me tell your doctors on you." His eyes were obsessed with her smile just like his fingers were with the line of her waist. And having her right here on his lap made touching her all the easier. "This can't be good for your ribs."

Kensi moved as if to slide away and every muscle in his body knew exactly what to do about it: keep her close. "Be a lot worse for my ribs if you make me pick you back up every few minutes." Deeks locked his arms around her waist, pulling her firmly over his legs. "Just stay here and I'll be good."

"And how are you going to eat with Kensi in your lap?"

Deeks loved the flinch on Kensi's gun hand at the sound of Callen's voice. His touch, his kiss had distracted her that much. /I will use my powers only for good.\\ He tightened his arms when she shifted again. "We'll manage. And you're the one who told me to be perfectly clear. This is pretty clear."

"I should…"

Sam grinned and handed her a plate. "Stay on the bed at least. There aren't enough chairs for all of us." He set another plate next to her knees before settling into a chair at the side of the bed.

Callen was also smiling as he passed out cans of soda before claiming the only empty chair. "You did a good job on those signals, Deeks. Very clear."

Kensi drew in a shaky breath and straightened her shoulders. "We're never gonna hear the end of this, are we?"

"Not a chance in hell." Callen took a bit of chow mein and laughed low in his throat. "We're gotta get months of teasing out of tonight alone."

"Maybe years." Sam chimed in after opening his drink.

Kensi shook her head and relaxed into the arm around her waist. "All right then, let's eat. Someone said they wanted to go home sometime tonight."

It was perfect and he wasn't about to wake up and have it all disappear. And he did manage to eat with Kensi still in his lap just fine.

000


End file.
